By Manal Abdel Fattah
Ambassador Frank Hartmann, the German ambassador to Cairo, confirmed that what is currently happening in the Gaza Strip is a humanitarian catastrophe, in the truest sense of the word, and the suffering of the civilian population in Gaza must end.
The ambassador added during a workshop organized by the German Embassy in Cairo, entitled “The Roots of Hatred,” in the presence of a group of experts: “We need a humanitarian truce as soon as possible, to stop the fighting on both sides, release the hostages, and work to reach a permanent ceasefire.” .
The ambassador added: “The longer the fighting lasts, the deeper the losses of this conflict will be, the more the prospects for any decent future life in Gaza will diminish, and the more frustration and hatred will increase even in the next generation.”
The German ambassador stressed that peace will not be achieved for Israel except when the Palestinians live in peace and dignity in their state, and therefore the vicious circle of violence and hatred that leads to more violence must be broken, and the path towards a political solution must be opened again, continuing: “We have a shared humanitarian responsibility to “This regard.”
The German ambassador pointed out that support for Israel was and remains strong in Germany, for reasons in our history, but what people often do not understand adequately is the long and complex history of the conflict that did not begin on October 7, as people in my country are not aware of the perspective.
Palestinian and Arab conflict adequately.
Regarding the issue of hatred and its roots, the topic of the workshop, Frank Hartmann pointed out the importance of researching the causes that incite hatred, and highlighting the bad impact it has on individuals and societies as a whole, stressing the necessity of working to overcome hatred, pointing out that knowledge and education are the key to fortifying individuals and societies, Against hate factors.
The ambassador added: Our Western and European societies are witnessing a worrying tendency toward a decline in tolerance and acceptance of others of different origins, whether in religion, tradition, or language. He continued: Our societies have become multi-faceted, diverse, multi-cultural, and multi-ethnic, the more we try to open up and integrate people. From different backgrounds in our societies, the more parts of our societies move away from the concept of a tolerant society, and this leads to support for right-wing xenophobic parties, such as the AfD.
Frank Hartmann said, fortunately, a strong popular movement, the “silent majority,” has recently emerged with large marches against right-wing extremism, against discrimination and against people of other origins.
The German ambassador in Cairo concluded his speech by saying that the workshop presents the issue from a German perspective. It reveals the problems facing our society, and our attempts; To remain an open democratic society.